In a war zone, a large percentage of supplies are airdropped, for example in order to decrease the number of ground vehicles that are exposed to roadside bombs, ambushes, and the like. Typically, an airdropped package is a small bundle of about 500 pounds to about 2000 pounds, which utilizes as a base a 4′×4′ sheet of plywood. Type V aluminum platforms, which can deliver much larger and/or heavier payloads, are generally not used in forward air drops. This is because it is undesirable to leave large amounts of metal where it could be retrieved by the enemy and repurposed, for example converted into components for improvised explosive devices. Additionally, retrieving such hardware and returning it to the “rear” is often cumbersome, time-consuming, and otherwise unrealistic. Accordingly, improved aerial delivery systems and methods are desirable.